The present invention pertains to the field of installing software, and more particularly to providing new options to already installed software.
Sometimes a software application is provided to a customer in a configuration that includes only basic features, i.e. a basic build, and the customer is able to request that additional features be activated. In some instances, the additional features are provided on an installation medium along with the basic build, but are not installed with the basic build. This procedure, having the customer install a base version and then later request that options be installed from the installation medium already provided, eliminates the need of providing to each customer a potentially different configuration, i.e. a basic build with potentially different installed options, and also eliminates having to provide an entirely new build (with a new set of options) each time a customer wants to take advantage of different or additional options.
In what has been described, there is nothing to stop a customer from installing any option the customer would like, even though the customer might only have paid for some of the options, or none at all. All of the options are provided to the customer on an installation medium, but simply not installed. What is needed is a way to allow provision of all the options to a customer with a base version (basic build), but to prevent the customer from installing options not paid for, and allowing a customer to install only those options requested and paid for.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method and corresponding system for installing a software option for a software application already installed on a customer computer system. The option is included on an installation medium provided for use with the customer system, which includes an installation module. The software application is registered with customer service via a customer service system, and the registration information, provided to customer service, is stored also on the customer system, the method including the following steps performed on the customer system. The steps include receiving from a user an indication of the option to be installed; constructing, from elements of the registration information, a system identification uniquely identifying to the customer service system the application for which the option is to be installed; and construction of an order alteration request from the system identification and from the option indicated to be installed. Additionally, the steps include communication of the order alteration request to the customer service system, and receiving a key, from the customer service system, which is computed by hashing the predetermined elements of the order alteration request. A confirmatory key is then computed by hashing the predetermined elements of the order alteration request and comparing the key to the confirmatory key, and installing the option only if the key is the same as the confirmatory key.
In some aspects of the invention the customer service system performs the following steps: receiving the order alteration request and verifying the order using the system identification; checking the order for consistency, and in particular for whether some options already installed should be deleted for the software application to function properly; computing the key; and providing the key to the customer service.
Preferably, the key is computed using the secure hash algorithm (SHA). However, any reasonably secure hashing algorithm can be used in the method of the present invention to compute the key.
In some aspects of the present invention, the system identification also includes an indication of the time the order alteration request was prepared by the customer system.